MUDA scam: Karnataka Deputy CM Shivakumar calls it “politically motivated”, backs Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 17 (ANI): Labelling the MUDA scam as a “politically motivated” issue, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that the Congress party and the Karnataka government are standing firm with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The statement of the Congress leader comes following the Karnataka Governor’s permission to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam.

“The entire party and the government stand with my chief minister. He has not done anything wrong. This is a politically motivated issue. So we are going to protest. We are going to court. We will take all legal remedies. Also, the entire state, our party workers will protest against the governor’s stance. No illegal activity has been done,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar told ANI.

Demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje accused that the CM’s wife had illegally acquired 14 sets which belonged to the Dalits.

“The Governor has permitted the prosecution legally. Siddaramaiah is a culprit in two cases. In the Valmiki Development Corporation, he himself admitted in the Vidhan Sabha that this corruption does not amount to Rs 187 crores but to Rs 89 crores… This money went to Telangana to fund the Congress party’s election expenses… Second is the MUDA scam in Mysuru, where his wife illegally occupied 14 sets. Ever since the acquisition in 1992, Siddaramaiah has been in a constitutional post… He should immediately resign and face the case,” Shobha Karandlaje said.

However, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that “everything was done according to the law”.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who will now face prosecution in the alleged MUDA scam, said on Saturday that the entire State cabinet is standing with him.

“The entire Cabinet, party high command, all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are with me…,” he briefly told reporters today.

Congress leader and Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi stated that the Governor was working at the behest of the BJP by giving such orders.

“…This is most unfortunate…This is an elected government, it was elected recently. It was elected after an obscene amount of money was spent by the BJP to get their party elected. Now you want to destabilise it by these means. If anybody comes and complains, how many times have the Governor entertained such complaints? It is not the Governor’s fault, it is his master dictating to him…Governors are not supposed to act like this, they have not acted like this earlier…The question is can the Governor act at all?” Singhvi said.

The MUDA scam came to light after a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).